Thorium

Sudha Mahalingam's lucid analysis of the Indo-US nuclear deal (ET, Oct 25) clearly points to the dilemma facing our policy planners. On the one hand it is extremely unwise to agree to a full-scope safeguards with a perpetual clause merely on the assurance of the US whose track record in honouring nuclear trade agreements with India is abysmal. On the other hand, the lack of indigenous uranium resources, even to see us through the first stage of the three-stage nuclear power strategy, makes us dependent on...

INDORE: Noted scientist and former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Anil Kakodkar today hailed the civil nuclear deal with the US as being in the "best interests" of the country, since it would enable India to meet its growing energy demand. "To meet India's growing energy demands, nuclear power is a better option, but in our country its fuel, uranium is not available in abundance. Efforts are being made to search it in the country and it is...

BANGALORE: India would build a 300 MW thorium-based Advance Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) that would serve as a platform for developing and demonstrating technologies for largescale thorium utilisation, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar said on Monday. Power potential from thorium reactors is very large and availability of Accelerator Driven System (ADS) can enable early introduction of thorium on a largescale, he said, while inaugurating a training programme on Energy...

WASHINGTON: India is the leading country in the research of Thorium, a naturally occurring radio active metal, a US official has said, even as the there is a distinct possibility of its use in nuclear reactors. "Thorium is only used in an experimental and a research way, but in theory, it could be used for reactors. I think the country that's leading the research effort is India, actually, which has large amounts of thorium and so they're very...

SILIGURI: India's Neighbouring country Bhutan is coming up fast as a preferred conduit for illegal sandalwood smuggling from India to China. With source in south Indian forest lands, final usage of these precious timber in China is not always as healthy as it is generally believed. The first seizure of illegal red sandalwood in Bhutan took place in July 2013. Though considered as a stray case then, it was followed by a series of similar events with the latest...

UNITED NATIONS: India has said it is committed to implementing the highest safety standards at its nuclear power plants as it seeks to harness the benefits of atomic energy to meet its growing energy requirements. "Nuclear power remains an important option not only for countries with existing nuclear programmes, but also for developing countries with growing energy requirements," visiting BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha said in his statement to the UN...

BANGALORE: India has designed an advanced heavy water reactor aimed at generating energy from thorium, Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar said today. "That (the reactor) is a technology demonstrator essentially aimed at getting energy from thorium, and we have finished the design, and it's being done at BARC (Babha Atomic Research Centre)," he said here. "Design is over and the peer reviews are over. Safety reviews are currently going on..then we will take decision about...

NEW DELHI: Maintaining that only state-run IREL can produce and process monazite, a beach sand mineral containing thorium, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has said no given licence to any private entity for this purpose. "DAE has not issued any licence to any private entity either for production of monazite, or for its downstream processing for extracting thorium, or the export of either monazite or thorium," the DAE said in a statement. The Indian Rare...

ON BOARD SPECIAL AIRCRAFT: Noting that India has a large quantity of thorium, President A P J Abdul Kalam said on Wednesday that in the next five to seven years the country will have abundant nuclear fuel "and the route is thorium. " India will have to tap solar power, bio-fuel and nuclear fuel to meet its requirement of 20,000 mw of energy by 2030, Kalam told reporters on board Air India One 'Tanjore' en route Yangon, the first leg of his two-nation five-day visit to Myanmar and...

DHANBAD: India's first 500 mega watt (MW) fast-breeder reactor is likely to be operational by 2009. There are four such reactors being built in the country with the first one at Kalpakkam near Chennai by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nagam (Bhavini). Confirming this development, BK Chaturvedi, member Planning Commission, told ET: "India has huge thorium reserves, which can enable it to sustain 50,000-60,000 MW of power by 2050. A lot will depend upon the...

SILIGURI: India's Neighbouring country Bhutan is coming up fast as a preferred conduit for illegal sandalwood smuggling from India to China. With source in south Indian forest lands, final usage of these precious timber in China is not always as healthy as it is generally believed. The first seizure of illegal red sandalwood in Bhutan took place in July 2013. Though considered as a stray case then, it was followed by a series of similar...

SILIGURI: After Indo-Nepal porous border, now, neighboring country Bhutan seems to have become a second choice for international sandalwood smugglers to get the item to China from India. Recent seizure of huge volume of sandalwood in Bhutan has confirmed this idea. Though medicinal usage of sandalwood in China is considered as main demand generator there, few other 'lesser healthy' possible usages are also now under scanner. Bhutan, forest officials have...

SILIGURI: Recent seizure of huge volume of Red sandalwood from Siliguri adjoining Indo-Nepal border area has once again proved that the porous international border is a favoured route for international smugglers for their passage to China via Tibet. Though medicinal usage of the endangered flora is considered as one the major purpose of the international grey trade chain, few other possible usages, not so 'healthy,'...

BANGALORE: India imports 70% of its weapons and other defence equipment, which is a risky proposition. India's quest for self reliance through indigenisation can happen when the government creates a level-playing field for Indian entrepreneurs, says A Sivathanu Pillai , distinguished scientist and CEO of BrahMos Aerospace , the maker of BrahMos missile. In an interview with ET, Pillai said Indian entrepreneurs...

NEW DELHI: Describing the beheading of the Indian soldier on the Line of Control as "brutal", US-India Business Council President Ron Somers today said Pakistan is "provoking India to react". Referring to the tension on the LoC following the brutalities committed on two Indian soldiers by Pakistan, a statement by Observer Research Foundation quoting Somers said, " Pakistan's army , ISI (Inter Services...

NEW DELHI: Maintaining that only state-run IREL can produce and process monazite, a beach sand mineral containing thorium, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has said no given licence to any private entity for this purpose. "DAE has not issued any licence to any private entity either for production of monazite, or for its downstream processing for extracting thorium, or the export of either monazite or thorium," the DAE said in a statement. The Indian Rare...

BHUBANESWAR: Govt should go ahead with the Indo-US Nuclear deal because it would give a boost to country's nuclear programme, former President A P J Abdul Kalam said on Friday. We have plenty of thorium but very small reserve of uranium and it will take a lot of time to develop thorium based nuclear reactor, Kalam, who is on a visit here told the media. In order to carry forward its nuclear activities, India requires more quantity of uranium, if India signs the...

CHIDAMBARAM (TN): India will begin construction of the Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) this year, marking launch of stage III of the country's nuclear programme. "We will start the construction on the AHWR sometime this year," Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar said in a presentation at a theme session on Energy Security at the Indian Science Congress here. He said the thorium-based AHWR was currently undergoing pre-licensing review by the Atomic...

WASHINGTON: India is the leading country in the research of Thorium, a naturally occurring radio active metal, a US official has said, even as the there is a distinct possibility of its use in nuclear reactors. "Thorium is only used in an experimental and a research way, but in theory, it could be used for reactors. I think the country that's leading the research effort is India, actually, which has large amounts of thorium and so they're very interested...

BHUBANESWAR: Orissa government is keen to revive some sick industries that have potential to achieve turnarounds. In fact, a process in this regard has already been started, industry minister Raghunath Mohanty told the Assembly on Wednesday. Replying to a query by Nationalist Congress Party member Amar Prasad Satpathy, the minister said of the 1690 sick industries identified, 667 had already been revived through capital infusion by various institutional...